Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  The day wore on; and it may be imagined that the anxieties of the ladyLurlee and the fair Zyna were not diminished by the continued absenceof the Khan and his son. As the former had left his wife, he hadrequested her to have a "kicheri" of a particular kind, with kabobs,prepared for him when he arrived. "He should be hungry," he said,"after his ride so early, and Fazil too. It was a soldier's dish, andwould put him in mind of old days in the field, and--Lurlee could dressit so capitally." We may remember a slight bandying of words betweenthe Khan and his lady before he went out; and he had ordered this dishas a propitiatory meal at her hands, for he knew by experience that theresult would be satisfactory: the little acerbity would disappear, andthe planets, perhaps, would be forgotten.

  Nothing could have been devised more soothing to the ladyLurlee's temper--nothing more certain of dispelling any clouds ofdissatisfaction or disappointment--than this appeal to her affectionsthrough her kitchen. Even in these intellectual days, a similar resultis not unfrequently attainable; proving that the motives and springs ofpoor human nature, and its tempers, show but little difference at thetime of our history and among ourselves; and did we permit ourselvesto moralize after the fashion of the day, we might possibly deliver apretty lecture upon the subject.

  But--and we may as well avow it once for all--we feel ourselves boundto relate our story without any moralizing digressions whatever,further than what may form part of its action; and therefore we willnot follow the changes of the lady's mind, from its first expectantand interested condition after the mixing of the materials by her ownfair hands (for on such occasions she suffered no one to interfere),to the setting them on the fire to be done exactly as her lord wished.With the Khan's loving order, had come a flood of pleasant memoriesto her--of old camp days, hard fights too, in which her lord--safe,generally victorious, and restored to her prayers--found his wifebusy with some favourite dish; and they loved each other, in a homelyfashion, better for the cooking and the eating of it.

  Now, as the lady sat over her private brazier, on which were her ownsilver cooking-vessels, the Khan's special gift, she told Zyna of manyan old time and scene--of many a narrow escape--many a rough marchwhich she had shared with the old soldier, and done her part in bindingup his wounds if he were hurt, or cooking for him if he were hungry.

  "Your mother was not of our rough Dekhani sort, daughter," she said;"people tell me she never went out with the army: she was a weak,fragile thing, I have heard, but very beautiful. Peace be with her,for thy father loved her much, and hath never loved me as her. Butno children have come, Zyna--no children, that is it,"--and the ladysighed, and perhaps tears gathered in her eyes, for she wiped themhastily with the corner of her muslin scarf. "Well, it is God's will,daughter; and though I could never understand it properly, there wassomething wrong in the horoscope which they cast when I was betrothed.You see, Zyna, my planet was then Mars, which represented water--no, itwas fire;--no, that's a male planet, and so it must have been Earth.Yes, I think it was--Earth; and then he was Venus--no, that could notbe either; it must have been Saturn, and that's for air. So you see,fire and air--no, let me see--air and water? no. What did I tell thee,Zyna? Was it Earth?"

  "I do not understand it, mother; how can I tell?" said Zyna demurely.

  "But you are not listening, girl; ah, wait till your own time comes.I'll warrant you anxious and curious enough to know whether you arefire or earth, or air or water; and whether he is air, or water, orwhatever he may be. Now about myself. You see I was fire; no I amwrong. 'Humul,' 'Sowr,' 'Jowza' (Aries, Taurus, Gemini)," continued thelady Lurlee, telling off all the signs of the zodiac, in Arabic, uponthe ends of her fingers, and then the planets in succession, "'Mars,''Venus,' 'Mercury;' and now look, Zyna, if the house of the Lion is onthis middle finger, and the planet Mercury comes to it, you see Mercuryis in conjunction with--with the Crab. Did not I say the Crab, child?Now attend, else I shall lose all my reckoning. 'Humul,' 'Sowr'----"

  "Alas, mother, but I do not understand it, and I can never remember thenames of the planets or their houses,--indeed I cannot," said Zyna,piteously. "But ah, mother, look, it is burning!"

  And so it was. In her astrological involvement, Lurlee Khanum hadforgotten the kicheri, which, as the bottom of the pan became too hot,sent up a most unsavoury odour, and brown smoke issued from under thelid.

  "God forgive me my neglect, daughter," exclaimed the lady, sorrowfully,as she examined the pan: "it is surely quite spoiled, and thy fatheris so particular. The least idea of burnt kicheri is enough to set himmad, and I could not look at him for a day or more. And he will beexpecting this to be all ready." "Protection of the Prophet!" exclaimedthe lady suddenly, "there he is. What shall I do?--what shall I do?"

  That which had startled Lurlee was the arrival of the Khan's escort,and the beating of their kettle-drums in the outer court; and asshe listened, and stood up, ladle in hand, expecting her lord'sentrance, she was perhaps relieved by the appearance of Goolab who,as the general outdoor scout, brought tidings from the courtyard ofoccurrences of all kinds.

  "They are not coming, lady," said the nurse. "They are gone to theKotwal's, and will stay there. That's the news brought by Peer Khan,and a host of them. And there's Bulwunt Rao as good as dead; and he'sto be put into the private apartments, and the King's doctor is to besent for; and I must go and see to a bed for him, and a soft mattress,and pillows and sheets; and then they'll all be spoilt with his blood.His blood, indeed!"

  "A blister on thy tongue, O prating woman!" cried Lurlee. "My lordtaken to the Kotwal's? _My_ lord! O Zyna! O girl, what is the worldcome to? Thy father taken to that man of blood, Jehandar Beg; and thosecowards, the Paigah, have come here without him? O girl--what is it?speak, hast thou no sense?"

  Indeed, Zyna had very little; the mention of that dreaded name, thecertainty that if her father could have returned he would, and the factof Bulwunt Rao being dangerously wounded, all combined to terrify, andLurlee herself was no calmer.

  "Was there no message, Goolab?" asked Zyna.

  "O yes; that the Khan remains at the Kotwal's, and will eat hisbreakfast there. He has business, and will stay. That is all, and thatMeah Sahib is well."

  "That is all!" exclaimed Lurlee. "That is all! To have my lord in theKotwallee, and that dish of kicheri dressed in vain! O woman of littlegrace that I am! why did I deserve this? what have I done? what have Idone?"

  "But it was spoiled, mother," said Zyna innocently; "do not care aboutit. Only thank God they are safe. O, I vow a Fateha----"

  "Not care, child? and would it not have been the same had it been, asit was, dressed like food for the Peris? would it not have been thesame? Would he have come to eat it? he, thy father? Why order it? whyaffront me by leaving it here to be spoiled? why did he not come longago? This is not as it used to be of old. O, Afzool Khan! am I lessthan dirt in thine eyes? am I--I--I----"

  Now, the lady Lurlee, like all other Mahomedan ladies, only mentionedher husband's name on very solemn occasions, or when excitement gotthe better of discretion; and here was an instance of it. She sat downupon the stool before her brazier, and, after rocking herself to andfro for a while, burst into an uncontrollable fit of sobbing. It wasdifficult to say, perhaps, what had most particularly affected her;but undoubtedly the burning of the kicheri was at the bottom of all.It had been so good. Then she knew how his face would have expandedunder its influence as he ate; it would have reminded him of some oldscene, whose history would have come out between the mouthfuls--hemight even have caressed her. Ah, all was now gone--her trouble, herexpectation of a loving greeting, all gone: and the sense of neglectand indifference under which she habitually existed, had for the timetaken its place. But gradually the sobbing was soothed, and Lurlee,laying her head against Zyna's bosom, seemed lost in thought.

  "There must be unfavourable conjunctions among the planets to-day,depend upon it, daughter," she said at length, rousing herself, anddrying her eyes, "else all this would not have happ
ened. Now, let melook steadily into it: perhaps we may learn something for our guidance."

  "Look!" continued the lady after a pause, and a brief examination ofan astrological table, which she usually carried about her, "lookhere. Ah, graceless and unfortunate that I am, I should have foreseenall that has happened, and he should never have gone out at all. Why,here is Saturn in the ascendant till the first watch of the day,and then follows the Sun, and that's what spoilt my cooking. Let mesee--Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer," she continued, counting the signsof the zodiac, as before, on her fingers, "Aries, Taurus--why, God bemerciful! here follows Mars, and he's an executioner--and they are inthe Kotwallee--the Prophet's mercy be on them! Yet, stay, Mars willlast for only three hours; then comes, let me see--Mars, Jupiter,Mercury, Moon--no, Venus, Jupiter, Moon. Yes, I am right now, girl.That means messenger, and Venus is propitious. Ah, yes, don't you seeit all, Zyna? Don't you understand? Look, first the Moon, that's weourselves, as messengers; and then Venus will save them, if we can getpast Mars. Of course it is quite plain. Don't you see?"

  "Alas, no, mother! I do not," said Zyna, innocently. "I see figures andnumbers, and angles and signs, but it is hopeless to ask me about them.You are a wise woman, and this is a marvellous science. Surely, andplease God, you are right."

  "O, I see exactly what to do; and it is well I can pick out a pathamong these mysteries," cried Lurlee, brightening, "or we had all beenlost long ago. But we will eat first; I am sure some of the kicheriis good, and at any rate there are the kabobs, and Jameela will havebread. Come and eat, daughter, it will support thee; come, we have muchto do ere noon. I see now, and when thou hast eaten I will tell thee.Jameela! O Jameela!" she cried to the cook, who, when her mistress cameto usurp her functions, discreetly kept out of the way. "Jameela, bringsome bread and some pickle; we must eat now."

  "But you have the kicheri," said the dame. "Surely it is not burnt,"she continued, sniffing into the pan with a cook's experienced nose.

  "Begone, graceless!" cried Lurlee, who well knew the old woman wasrejoicing in her heart over her discomfiture; "begone and get thebread."

  "There is none but the men's bread, and it is coarse enough, for themeal was not sifted," returned Jameela. "When _you_ take to cooking, ofcourse I am not expected to be mindful of other light bread, and suchthings; but----"

  "Begone, and do as you are bid," cried her mistress, sharply. A lookfrom Zyna also, deprecating further discussion, was understood at onceby the old dame.

  "I will bring the best of it, Khanum," she said, "and there is somequite hot; but I can bake a few of your own 'phoolkas,' if you like;they will be good with the kabobs ... which seem savoury," shecontinued, craning over to look into the pot on the fire, and sniffinginto it.

  "Where is Goolab? Ah yes, do so, Jameela, and bring them quickly,"replied her mistress; "thou art a jewel."

  "I will send her, lady," said the cook, departing; "and I would bringthe men's bread, only it is not fit for the likes of ye."

  "Now, what is to be done?" asked Zyna. "O mother, thou seemest tounderstand everything, and art confident, and I am distracted withapprehension. O my father! O my brother! God keep you safe. I vowlights at Peer Sahib's tomb, and to feed a hundred Fakeers thereto-morrow, if they be safe!"

  "We must go to the palace, and inquire why thy father is detained,"replied Lurlee decisively. "Ah, Goolab, where wert thou? But nevermind," she continued, as the dame entered. "Lay out clothes for us;we must go to the palace; and bid some one go and say we pray to seethe Begum Sahiba, and order the palankeens and an escort to be ready.Inshalla! daughter, we will see what this evil-minded and base-bornKotwal can do."

  "And the jewels, Khanum?" asked Goolab.

  "Ah! I had forgotten. Well, a few."

  "No, mother, no!" cried Zyna, "not so. With our hearts heavy and sad,it surely is no time to put on jewels. Let us rather go with sobergarments, and prostrate ourselves before the Peer's shrine on our way."

  "I tell thee the Peer cannot help us," returned the dame tartly; "it isthe stars and the Begum. When they are safe, then do thy Fateha if thouwilt. Come here, eat, for we have much to do. Ah! Jameela-bee;" forLurlee always added the respectful addition of _bee_, for lady,--whenshe was in good humour, to her cook, who now entered with a tray of hotbread and delicate phoolkas, and a white cloth over her arm: "thou hastbeen quick, friend."

  It must be confessed that the lady Lurlee's appetite, sharpened perhapsby her unusual fast and the process of her own cookery, did amplejustice to the meal. Her confidence in the stars sustained her farbetter than Zyna's faith in her saint--that is, if one might judge bythe resolute and satisfied features of the elder face as it bent overits plate, eating heartily, and the distressed, anxious, and tearfulexpression of the younger, endeavouring almost vainly to eat at all. Itwas of no avail that Lurlee encouraged her daughter, and even pickedout tempting morsels from the kabobs, and set them before her, with thehottest of the phoolkas, as they were sent in short relays from thekitchen.

  "Ah, daughter! he would have enjoyed this," said Lurlee, as she washedher hands over the ewer brought her at the conclusion of the meal,and sighed in a manner which plainly signified her regret not to beable to eat more. "Yes, the kabob was good, but thou hast scarcelytasted it; a trifle more pepper would have been better, perhaps; yet itwas good. And now, girl, I am ready to face the Kotwal or the Begum,or--the peace of God be on him--Adil Shah himself. Inshalla! we willsee who dares to detain my lord when I, Lurlee Khanum, have cooked hisbreakfast."